This Christmas Will Be A Very Special Christmas
by randommama
Summary: Edward has certain surprises in store for his love, Bella, to make this year's Christmas holidays a very special one, knowing how difficult this time of year is usually for her. "A Twilight Christmas" Entry for Twilightsickness contest 1ST PLACE WINNER


"**A Twilight Christmas" writing contest hosted by TwilightSickness. com**

**Penname: **randommama

**Title of the Story:** This Christmas Will Be A Very Special Christmas

**Twitter name: **randommama

**Disclaimer:** Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all its characters.

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><p><strong>I'm proud to say that this OS has one 1ST PLACE!**

YAY!

Thanks for all the support!

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><p>Edward opened the heavy doors of the old church and he immediately heard the strains of the church choir singing "Silent Night". As he went inside and looked around, he could see that the church was mostly empty, save for the small choir practicing their songs and a few churchgoers scattered throughout the pews.<p>

There was a couple and their two children looking on as the choir sang angelically and readied themselves for Christmas mass. An old man was praying the rosary in one of the very back pews while a woman seemed to be doing the same at the front of the church, and a gentle looking middle-aged lady was making sure that all the hymn books were placed neatly back into the seat pockets of all the pews. Edward figured that she must work for the church. Offhand, he didn't see who he'd come to this church to see.

Edward continued to look around the spacious church, hoping he'd find who he came here for, instead of having to head out into the cold once more to look for her. He finally spotted her standing over by the votive stands of candles located in a secluded corner of the church and a wide smile came upon his face. She was inside the church after all.

She was the only reason why he came. He just knew that she would've come here tonight.

He took off his gloves and dipped a couple of fingers in the bowl of holy water right by the door, made the sign-of-the-cross, and strolled as quietly as he could to where she was standing. Her head was bowed, reverently looking at the many flickering candles. The candlelight made her long, chestnut hair seem like it was glowing and casted interesting shadows across her beautiful face. He could tell that she was praying.

Edward stood beside Bella silently, just watching her. He didn't want to disturb her as she prayed, knowing how this time was sacred to her.

When her head finally rose and she noticed Edward standing beside her, Bella gave him a nod of acknowledgement and a small, tentative, smile. It didn't reach her eyes like her smiles usually did.

He couldn't help but reach out and placed an arm around her shoulder. With an audible sigh, she melted into his side and wrapped her arms around his waist. He gave her a soft kiss on her temple and swept some stray hairs away from her face with his free hand.

"I knew you'd end up coming here. Are you okay?" Edward asked softly, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Even better now that you're here. I'm glad you finally found me," Bella told him.

"Well, knowing what today was, it wasn't all that hard. I would've caught up to you eventually." That garnered a somewhat wider smile from Bella which made his heart glad.

Edward knew that today, of all days, it was probably hard for his beloved to produce her usual smile that could light up a room. Eliciting any from Bella, no matter how small, he considered quite an accomplishment.

"I hope you didn't go all around town on a wild goose chase just looking for me," Bella said softly.

"Don't worry. I didn't. By now, I sort of already knew where you'd be. Granted, I wasn't sure, I'd find you here, but I followed my hunch."

Bella just nodded, as she continued to hold onto Edward with a tight grasp. She wasn't much for talking either on a day like today.

Today was the anniversary of Bella's father's death. It was always one of the toughest days of the year for Bella emotionally and mentally, and the fact that it came so close to Christmas, made it even more difficult on her. For as long as Edward had known her, Bella had always set aside this one day to grieve her loss, and boy did she ever grieve. The rest of the year, Bella rarely thought about her father being gone, but as each anniversary day of his death came, it was the one day she released all the pent up emotion she had stored throughout the year. It had already been five years, since his passing and still, after all this time, the loss of her father still hit Bella as hard as the day she had found out that he had passed. Edward figured this was because, to this day, Bella still couldn't accept whom was responsible for her father's death.

Bella's day always started out the same. She would never be able to sleep the night before, or even if she was able to snooze a little, it was always restless and plagued with awful nightmares. Finally, before dawn would break, Bella would just rise and start her day. As soon as she was dressed, Bella took off. She never felt like company on this day and preferred to be alone. It was why she'd always left at the crack of dawn, leaving Edward to continue to sleep. She used the time alone to pray, reminisce about her dad, make pilgrimages to special places, and deal with her grief in her own way. She always took this day off from work routinely, so she could have the day to herself and freely do what she wanted.

Another reason Bella didn't have Edward accompany her was because she knew that she'd be shedding a whole lot of tears on this day and she didn't want to subject Edward to her crying. She knew he hated to see her cry, especially when he was powerless to offer her any comfort.

In turn, Edward knew that as much as he tried, he couldn't soothe Bella's sorrow; never on a day like today. He'd been down that road before, and it only led to more heartache for Bella. So, now, he learned to give her the time and space she needed.

Bella's grief over her father's untimely passing made her inconsolable. She just needed the time alone to connect and feel close to her dad, without Edward hovering and trying to coddle her. Edward always made it a point, though, to catch up with her eventually, now that he knew the places she went and how she spent the time alone whenever the day of her father's death anniversary came.

Bella never visited the special places, as she liked to call it, in the same order each year, but she visited them consistently. She wandered around her hometown seemingly aimless, just going where her heart led her to next. It was lucky for Edward to have found her now going by his hunch alone.

As Edward continued to hold Bella, he knew from the look upon her face that she was in a lot of pain, although she tried her best to hide it. He wished he could take it all away from her; however, Edward knew that the only surefire way Bella's heart would heal was to have her beloved father back. Bella had been unprepared for her father being gone and that was why his death was so difficult on her. Edward would do anything for Bella, but unfortunately for him, he couldn't perform miracles. The best he could do was give her support and show her how much he truly loved her.

"Are you done here? I can take us home now if you'd like," Edward stage-whispered to Bella, so as not to disturb anyone else who was in the church with them.

Bella looked up at him after having buried her head into his chest. Just as quietly she asked, "Do you mind if we sit down for just a few minutes first." Her eyes were pleading.

"Of course, honey," Edward affirmed. He then gently guided them to the nearest pew where they both sat down. Edward's arm automatically went around Bella's shoulders once more. Although Bella didn't express it, she really took comfort in Edward's touch.

They both sat there in silence for a time, while Bella stared out onto the front of the church, which was beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. Edward looked to where Bella's eyes were drawn to, and he could see they were fixated on the side of the altar where a beautiful recreation of the manger scene was on display.

"So, did you get a chance to talk to your dad today? I know the constant rain today might've made it difficult," Edward said to try and make conversation. He didn't count on her to respond, though.

Surprisingly, Bella started to talk, "Yeah, I did. There was this small window of time where the rain stopped and the sun shone briefly. It was just enough time for me to head over to the cemetery and visit with him. It was nice. The grass was a bit wet, so I didn't sit and couldn't stay as long as I like with the skies still threatening, but overall I still had a nice visit. I was worried, too, that I wouldn't get to see his grave today & talk to him. I was glad that I had the chance. I swear that as soon as I left his grave site and was safely indoors, the rain started up again. I'd like to think that maybe dad did that for me. Y'know, pulled some strings up there, so that I could still go see him."

"He probably did. I know if it were me, I'd do anything to get a visit from you."

"Oh stop. Don't even talk like that. I can't imagine having to think about losing you too," Bella chastised with a quivering voice.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant...Oh, never-mind. It was stupid of me," Edward said with a huff. He was clearly frustrated that he caused her to be upset.

Bella looked up at a pouting Edward and immediately felt bad. She knew he hadn't meant anything bad by what he said. He was just trying to agree with her statement. Now he was upset because of her over-reaction. She couldn't help it that she was an emotional mess today and took it all wrong.

Bella tried to make things better. "No, no...I should say sorry. I over-reacted. I know what you meant and what you were trying to do. Clearly, I took it wrong. I'm so sorry. Bear with me, okay? I'm just an emotional wreck today and so I have to warn you that I'm going to respond inappropriately a lot."

"It's okay. I should've chosen my words better. I never want to upset you any further than you already are. That's why I'm sore with myself. I know that today has been hard on you. It always is a very difficult day for you every time it comes around. Would it be better if I just leave? Just let you continue to mourn on your own. I'm afraid I might just be making things worse instead of helping."

"No...no...please don't go," Bella pleaded. "I wasn't lying when I said I was glad you finally found me. I want you with me. I am quite sad, but somehow now that you're here, things feel a whole lot better. Before you came, I was actually thinking how nice it would've been if you were here with me. Then just like that, you were. I took it as another sign that dad was helping look out for me. He knew that I needed you now."

"Are you sure? I could just wait for you back at the house. You can stay out as late as you want."

"I want you here with me," Bella said adamantly. "I'm just sorry that I'm now screwing things up with me being so emo. God, I can just see my father rolling his eyes at me now."

"It's perfectly understandable that you're emo, honey. I don't blame you at all," Edward assured. "No one can, not after they know about all you've been through and about the love you had for your dad. And, you're not screwing things up. Maybe it's me. I know you're delicate and I don't know if I can deal. I just don't want to be in your way or get you upset anymore than you already are. I'm afraid that I might just say or do all the wrong things."

"You see, that's my fault. I'm making you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around me. I'm sorry about that. Listen, don't feel that way, okay? We had a small misunderstanding earlier and that was all on me. Let's just forget about it. Please don't feel that I'm such in a delicate state right now that you have to watch yourself around me. I'm really not as delicate as you think. I'll be fine. I always am. And, really, I feel better now that you're with me."

Bella touched Edward's face gently to show him that she meant what she said. Then to prove her point further, she gave him a searing kiss that took him completely by surprise.

When they both finally came up for air, both their cheeks were pink from having put on such a public display. They both looked around the church and were relieved to find that no one else inside were paying any attention to them.

"Okay," Edward conceded. "Just let me know if I get out of line."

"I promise I'll try to not be too sensitive and over-react," Bella added.

They sat together in silence again, holding onto one another. Edward took in the splendor of the old church and listened to the beautiful voices of the choir. They had cycled back to practicing "Silent Night" once again. He'd thought he had never heard such glorious singing, especially from a choir of that size, and a choir of children for that matter. He figured it had to do with how stringently they practiced. Edward made a mental note to return here with Bella for Christmas mass. He wasn't a religious person by any means, but he just had to come back here and see the show the choir was sure to put on.

Bella, in the meantime, was once more lost in her thoughts. By now, she was all cried out, so there were no more tears that flowed. In fact, with a particularly memory that suddenly entered her mind, she let out a little giggle, which caused Edward to look at her strangely.

"I know you've been thinking about your dad all day. May I ask what suddenly has gotten you giggling? Would you mind sharing it with me?" Edward inquired. "You don't know how good it is to hear that giggle come out of you," he continued to say.

"It was nothing. Just a silly memory that entered my mind."

"Maybe, but I'd still like to know. That is if you're willing to share. You hardly talk about your dad to me."

Bella seemed to think for a moment, judging by how she suddenly bit into her lower lip, then nodded. She then began to open up to Edward.

"My dad used to wake me up in the middle of the night to watch the first snow of the season...to make a wish."

"A wish?"

"Yeah, I used to ask for the same thing every year?"

"What did you wish for?"

"Now that is the silly part. That's what made me giggle."

"Well, now you've got me really curious. So, what did little girl Bella always wish for on that first snow of the season?"

"You're gonna laugh."

"I'll try not to. I can't promise I won't. But, you were a little girl, right?" To which Bella nodded. "Well, I bet back then, to you it made sense, and now it's just plain silly. All kids are like that. Even me. I won't hold it against you," Edward said with his patented smirk Bella always loved.

"Okay, but I warn you, it was silly. But, yeah, I was a little girl and totally fascinated with fairy tales. Keep that in mind."

"Okay, I will. What? Did you wish for a pony? I know lots of little girls wishes for ponies."

"No. It was way more fantastical than that."

"Really?"

"I always wished for a dance out in the newly falling snow with my prince," Bella confessed. "See, I told you it was fantastical and silly."

"Awww...that's so cute," Edward cooed.

"Cute? It was silly," Bella countered.

"Not at all. It's a sweet idea. I can't imagine any little girl that didn't wish for them to be swept off their feet by a prince; my sisters included. You took that notion a bit further. It's really cute, sweet, and is a testament to your imagination as a kid. So, did your wish ever come true?"

"That's another silly part of the memory. You see, I had told my dad that first year what I wanted to wish for. I believe I was only five at the time, when we first started the tradition of making a wish on the first snow of the year, and of course it didn't happen. I was kind of sad that my wish didn't come true. I cried and my dad hated to see me that way. I think every year after that he got the idea that I wished for the same thing every year, hoping against hope that it would actually happen. Well, obviously, it didn't. However, every year from then on, after he'd made sure I'd made my wish, he'd bundle me up, even if I was only my PJ's, pull out this silly beret that he had which he called his prince hat, put that on, and then take me out into the yard and dance with me in the snow. He'd tell me the same thing every year, 'I may not be an honest to goodness real life prince, but I hope I make a suitable substitute for now, me lady'. There was never any music, but we'd still sway with one another; at least until I started getting cold. Then he'd bring me back inside and we'd sit by the fire and warm up with cups of hot chocolate. He knew that it wasn't the same as actually having my wish really come true, but he always tried to make me feel better about my silly wish. Of course, when I got older, I learned that my wish could never come true-there will never be any prince that will dance with me in the snow. I accepted it. But, you know what, dancing in the first snow with my dad, became a tradition. We still did it every year up until the year he passed."

"Really? You never told me that. I never even knew that you had done that with him."

"Yeah, well, it just occurred to me after all this time. I guess I never told you that first year we were together because I probably thought you'd think it was silly of me to be doing that still with my dad, as old as we were," Bella explained. "Then, of course, tragedy struck, and then I kind of forgot about it. I can't believe I actually suppressed this memory of him since he's passed. It's funny how the mind works."

"Well, it's understandable, hon. You've always got a lot on your mind when it comes to your dad, especially today. There's a lot of memories there to wade through. If you must know, I don't think anything of what you just told me was silly at all. It was all rather sweet, and although I didn't get to know him all that well, I already know that your dad was a very special one. It was great of him to be making his one and only daughter's wish to come true. He didn't think your childhood wish was silly. He thought it just right for his beloved Bella. That takes a special kind of dad."

"He was a special dad. It's why his passing has hit me hard and until now I'm still grieving as if it was yesterday. Jesus, Edward, what must you think of me? He's been dead five years already, and every year on this day, I still feel the weight of his loss."

"Of course you do, honey. For exactly that reason, he was such a special person. Why wouldn't miss you him? I know it's hard. Five years of him passing isn't very long at all. You still need time to heal after his loss, and I hope that with my help, that over time you will and each year after this, it will get easier to accept that he's gone and in a better place. Not that you'd forget him, but more that it won't hurt so much," Edward tried to reassure Bella.

"God, I hope you're right, Edward. Since he died, I've felt like there's been a hole in my heart. I really would like that hole to be filled and I don't feel so terrible on this day," Bella admitted.

"I hope so, too, baby. He sounded like an extremely great father, and the fact that he raised you all alone makes him even more amazing in my eyes. You turned out to be a really great person. It's a testament to how well he raised you. You've told me nothing but great stories about him. Now, I only wish I met you earlier, so that I would've gotten to know him even better. When we first got together, I only met him a couple of times before he passed away. I know it'll be my one regret in life. Y'know, I wonder at times what he thought of me."

"You do?"

"Of course. I wonder if he actually liked me. Before he died, he didn't really have a chance to get to know me well, either. I guess he thought I was good enough for you. He didn't really protest the fact that we were together. It would've been nice, though, to know that I really had his approval. That's important to me because I know how much he cared for you and loved you. Sometimes I do think about what he might think of us now. I could only hope that he looks down upon me and thinks that I've done a good job taking care of his little girl in his absence."

"Oh darling, you may not have known it, but I knew that he loved you. He was happy for me to have found someone wonderful and just right for me. You may not have known it, but I did. He told me on several occasions how he was glad that I found you. He said that he knew you were a great guy and that you would do right by me. I'm sure that he'd say now that you've done an excellent job taking care of me now that he's gone," Bella expressed, then gently caressed Edward's face to further let him know the truth in her words.

Edward leaned his face into her touch. Although he would never understand it, he was grateful that he and Bella could always convey such intimacy with just a simple touch.

"Well, I bet your dad would have one complaint about me," Edward responded.

"And what do you think that'll be?" Bella asked, her curiosity now piqued.

"He's probably upset that I haven't made an honest woman out of you yet," Edward answered smartly.

"Pfft...Edward, we've talked about this before," Bella dismissed his words easily. "We'll know when the time's right. I know that you love me. You've stuck with me through thick and thin and especially supported me on my one emo day of the year. That's true love and devotion, right there. You show me each and every day how much you love me. That's all that matters to me. I really don't need a piece of paper to affirm it."

"Hmm...okay," was all Edward responded.

He knew that marriage was a touchy subject for Bella. Bella may say that actually getting married didn't matter to her, but Edward knew better. Like all women, he could see that she wanted that final sign of commitment, even though she never pushed the issue. She was patiently waiting for Edward to get his act together. Besides, Bella was quite a possessive woman normally. Edward knew that she would like nothing more than to show all the women around town that he had a ring on his finger.

The truth was that within three months of dating Bella, Edward had fallen head over heels in love with her and already knew that he wanted to marry her. However, he felt that it was too soon to ask her. He was biding his time, waiting a little longer, and then tragedy struck and Bella's father was killed in the line of duty. Edward then felt it was wrong to propose. Then suddenly life got in the way and before Edward knew it, he and Bella had been together five years. Edward now felt that he had waited long enough; however, whenever he brought the topic up to Bella, she was dismissive about it. Edward did make a vow to himself, though, that before this year was through, he would ask Bella to be his wife. Christmas was just around the corner and his time was running out. Today was definitely not the day to bring it up, however.

Edward happened to glance up and look outside of the old church. A huge smile graced his face as he saw the first traces of snow falling. It was late in the season, but this was the first snowfall of the year. Bella had yet to notice that the rain had turned over to snow outside, since she currently had her face burrowed into Edward's chest, seemingly content to just stay that way.

"Bella, honey," Edward softly whispered to her. "Do you know what it is the right time for now?"

"Huh?" Bella mumbled.

"A wish, sweetheart," Edward simply said.

"A wish?" Bella was understandably confused.

Edward temporarily let go of Bella and stood. Bella watched with a puzzled look on her face as Edward made sure he was ready to venture outside and that Bella was too as he dragged her up and out of her seat. He then took her by the hand and led her to the big, heavy wooden doors of the church.

"Edward, what's going on? I wasn't quite ready to leave here yet," Bella

Edward responded, "You'll see. I realize that I've dropped the ball these last few years, but now that I know your story, I'll be darned if I drop the ball again this year."

"You're not making any sense," Bella uttered with a giggle, as she continued to let herself get dragged outside. Edward had a determined stride.

As soon as Edward opened the doors to the church and got the both of them outside, Bella finally understood. It was snowing.

"I believe it is tradition that you make a wish on the first snow fall of the year, my love," Edward said with a smile. "So, go on...make your wish."

Bella looked upon Edward with such adoration and love. He always made it a point to do things like this that made her feel so special. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him be hers. She knew that if the man ever got the courage up to propose to her finally, she wouldn't hesitate to say yes. The man standing before her in the snow, with his green eyes sparkling, was definitely the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Bella held out her hand and felt the snow melt through her fingertips. She looked up to the sky and offered up a silent prayer of thanks to her father, who she knew was in heaven, probably smiling down at her and Edward now. She visualized her father giving Edward a thumbs up for his loving act just then and in one smooth move, he had single-handedly removed all of her sorrow that she had felt weighing on her all day.

Bella could not love the man more at this moment. With a deep breath, Bella closed her eyes, did a twirl in the snow, and made her wish silently, with Edward looking on patiently.

"So, did you make your wish?" Edward inquired, for which Bella nodded. "Okay then, I believe there's one more part of this tradition that I need to fulfill." Edward then took Bella's hand and led her to the church parking lot.

He stood her right in front of his car and asked her to stay. He then opened the door to the car, turned on the headlights, and turned on the iPod player in his car. He chose a soft slow song that he and Bella could easily sway to. He wasn't much of a dancer, but he certainly was going to try and fill Bella's dad's shoes. Besides, it would make great practice for their wedding.

"Oh God," Bella exclaimed. "What are you doing now?" She continued with a giggle. She had some idea what Edward was up to.

When everything was all set up, Edward made his way to Bella and stood in front of her. He was smiling from ear to ear and his eyes seemed to glowing in the dim light.

"I may not be your dad and I'm certainly no prince, but far be it for me to deny you your traditional first snowfall dance. So, my lady, would you do me the great honor and dance with me?" Edward asked, holding out his hand for Bella to take.

"What? Here?" Bella responded, admittedly a bit embarrassed about the openness of their location.

"I can't think of a better place," Edward answered.

"But what if people see?" Bella whispered to Edward.

"So what. I hope they see a man and woman totally in love having a fanciful dance in the snow and that they think it's romantic. Miss Bella Swan, I'll ask again. Will you do me the honor of giving me this dance?"

Bella saw Edward's expectant eyes and couldn't help but say yes. She took his hand and they fell into a comfortable dance embrace. They started to sway perfectly in sync to the rhythm of the music. Soon, Bella lost all her qualms about looking ridiculous dancing in the snow. She didn't care if anyone happened them like this. She melted into Edward and he held her even closer.

"May I ask you something?" Edward whispered into Bella's ear as they continued to dance. Bella nodded for him to go ahead.

"Did you wish for the same thing as you did when you were a kid? A dance in the snow with a prince. Do you still fancy that?"

"Uh uh," Bella muttered, a smile playing on her lips. She then looked intently into Edward's eyes and continued, "I no longer have to wish for that."

"Oh?"

"Nope. My wish has already come true. You made it come true just now."

"I don't follow," Edward said, as they stopped their swaying.

Bella once again caressed Edward's face and spoke intensely, "You may not be a certified prince as in born into royalty, but I've come to realize that you're certainly a prince in my eyes. With who you are, all you do, and how you love me and show me even in the littlest ways how much, you're definitely someone special. Yep, you're definitely my prince and have swept me off my feet."

"Really? Wow, I've been called a lot of things by other women, but never a prince before. I think I like it," Edward said with a smirk.

"Yeah, well don't let that get to your head," Bella answered with a roll of her eyes. "I was trying to be romantic."

Edward gave Bella's nose a soft peck. "Don't worry, I won't. If I may say so, I like your kind of romance, Miss Swan."

"Well, thanks. But I think you always can outdo me on that matter. Thank you for this, honey. You've pushed all the sorrow and darkness away for today."

"I have?" Edward asked and Bella affirmed. "Well, great, mission accomplished."

"And you worried about upsetting me, pffft..." Bella uttered. "You're exactly what I needed when you walked into the church." With that, Bella pulled Edward into a hug and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. Edward placed a kiss upon her forehead.

"I do believe that it's starting to get very cold and we've been out here long enough. I think good ole Charlie up there would disapprove of me getting his little girl frost-bitten. So are you ready to head home and get all warmed up?"

"Yeah, let's go home. I'm ready to put my daddy's death behind me for today."

Edward quickly ushered Bella to the car, opened the door, and safely tucked her into her seat. He gave her a quick peck before making his way to his driver's side. Then he was off taking them to the home they shared. He couldn't wait for Bella to see the surprise he had in store for her there.

They arrived safely back at their house, pulling into their driveway just as the snow started to pour down worse. Edward quickly got he and Bella inside.

As Edward turned on the lights in the house, Bella gasped at what she saw. Her house was now beautifully decorated for Christmas. She could hardly believe it.

With her father's death anniversary impending, Bella hadn't gotten into the Christmas spirit yet and had procrastinated on putting up the decorations and bringing Christmas cheer into her and Edward's home. She was like this every year. She would then rush to put some semblance of Christmas into their home before Christmas day actually arrived.

It seems that this year, Edward took it upon himself to bring Christmas cheer into their home. He was very busy today before he went out to find Bella.

Every part of the house where Bella looked was beautifully decorated for the season. Her dining room was already set for the Christmas dinner they'd be having with their friends, with red as the main theme color and gorgeous red and white snowflakes hung from the ceiling. There were Christmas colored candles scattered throughout the house, as well as lights, sprigs of holly, and garland strewn throughout. It was all really very beautiful to Bella and a lot of effort that Bella had never previously put into decorating the house.

In her living room, there stood the hugest real Christmas tree, the pine smell emanating throughout the room. The tree was filled with brightly colored ornaments, ribbons and bows, hundreds of glowing lights, and even had a string of popcorn running through its branches. It was exactly perfect in Bella's eyes.

Edward followed Bella throughout the house in silence, just watching Bella take in all the work he had done. He was nervous that Bella wouldn't like the excessive decorating that he did, but from the look in her eyes, she seemed to have found it all lovely.

"You were very busy today before you came to get me," Bella finally expressed, as she finished her walk-through of the house. "I can't believe you did all this and that you had time to do all this."

"To be honest, it didn't take that long. I was inspired this morning when I woke up and just put together a plan and voila, this is what happened. Do you really like it? I was afraid I might've gone overboard."

"Oh my God, Edward, sweetheart, I love it! It's all so beautiful. Thank you! Thank you for doing all this for me." Then she planted about a dozen quick kisses on Edward's lips.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you love it. I know how stressed you always get around this time of year, with the holidays and then dealing with your father's death anniversary. I just thought this year that this could be one of my Christmas presents to you."

"Well, I absolutely do love what you have done and thank you for taking the pressure off of me. I don't know how you do it each year, but you just seem to know exactly what I need. You've simply outdone yourself. I thought it was impossible to love you anymore than I already do, but I certainly am being proven wrong. God, Edward Cullen, how did I get so lucky?"

"I think I'm the lucky one. Y'know, every day I also think it's impossible to love you even more than I already do, but you somehow always make me to. I'm only trying to live up to the love you give me. Finding ways to show you just how much I love you isn't all that difficult when you're my inspiration," Edward professed.

"God, I love you so much, Edward. No one's ever loved anyone as much as I love you," Bella affirmed.

"You're almost right," Edward countered. "I know of one exception."

"Impossible. I love you more. How can I not?"

"Nope, don't think so."

"Okay, fine. I'm not going to fight about this. Certainly not now when you've been so wonderful today and given me such a meaningful present. Just know, Mr. Cullen, that I love you very much."

"And I absolutely love you, too, Miss Swan," Edward confirmed. He truly meant everything he had said.

Suddenly Edward's eyes blazed with an intensity that Bella had never seen before. His green eyes seemed a darker jade and as she looked him up and down, dressed in his dark jeans and black knit sweater, and his hair all wet and in disarray from the snow, she quickly found him completely sexy and irresistible at that moment.

Surprising even herself with the fierceness of her attack, Bella pushed Edward up against the wall and smashed her lips to his, kissing him furiously and intensely. Edward wasted no time in opening up his mouth to receive Bella's tongue and taste the sweetness that was Bella's mouth.

He let out a guttural groan as Bella's hands started to roam about his body. There was nothing in the world he could think of that was better than Bella's touch. One touch from Bella could ignite a fire within Edward, like nothing he'd ever felt before.

Through their own volition, his hands started to do the same, then settled on his favorite part of Bella's anatomy-her ass. When Bella lifted up his sweater and touched the sliver of skin she exposed on his back, just above the waistline of his jeans, Edward became so turned on that he scooped Bella up and began working his way up the stairs as he carried her. They were a tangled mess of roving limbs and constant kissing. When Bella wrapped her legs around his waist, Edward ran them up the rest of the flight of stairs as fast as he could and into their bedroom.

As soon as they were inside their room, the door slammed closed, and soon they were peeling clothes off of one another. Once they were both sufficiently naked, Edward gave Bella another searing kiss, never breaking it, as he walked her backwards towards the bed. Once the back of Bella's knees reached the bed, he gently laid her down.

He kissed every part of her face and worked his way down her jawline and onto her neck. He paid particular attention to the spots on her neck behind her hears that always made her shiver whenever he kissed her there. Edward continued to kiss down Bella's body, his hands following the path that his lips were making.

As soon as Edward's hands were massaging Bella's breasts, she was writhing with need. Just the way Edward liked her to be. Her moans of pleasure were starting to get louder and that was music to Edward's ears.

Tonight, Edward wanted their lovemaking to be all about her. He wanted to bring her so much pleasure, especially after all the pain she had gone through today.

He continued to kiss his way down Bella's body and kissed across the line of her flat stomach, making sure to lick her cute, little belly button, once he reached there, and then continued on down her waist and hips. Edward made sure he didn't miss kissing any of Bella's luscious curves. He finally made his way down to his ultimate destination which was between Bella's legs.

Bella didn't hesitate to open up her legs to Edward and fully expose her sex to him. Having Edward go down on her was actually one of her favorite parts of their sex life. After the first time he had done it to her, she quickly realized that Edward had a very talented tongue, so she had no problem letting him pleasure her that way. She needed to come badly and she knew that Edward could definitely bring her to orgasm in no time using his tongue and equally talented fingers.

Edward settled himself on his knees on the floor, dove in, and began to work on Bella's sex. He touched her the way he knew she liked and savored the taste of her once his tongue joined in on the action. Using his tongue to kiss and lick her in her most sensitive area, whilst touching her sensually all over her sex and occasionally pumping it inside of her, especially curling them on her G-spot, Edward was able to bring Bella to orgasm shortly after he started, just as she needed.

With panting breaths, she coaxed Edward out from between her legs and they both scooted up further onto the bed. She came down from her orgasmic high and immediately pulled Edward to her lips. She tasted herself on his lips as she kissed him as if there was no tomorrow. She also couldn't help but grope his nice, firm, butt-her favorite part of his anatomy.

Edward lay on top of Bella, making sure not to put too much of his weight on her as he continued to explore Bella's beautiful body. Bella's hands moved to touch Edward's prominent erection, knowing how much he luxuriated in her touch. She ran her hands up and down his shaft a few times, eliciting moans of pleasure from Edward, before she guided him to her center. That was where she really wanted Edward to be-inside of her.

They joined and they both exhaled a sigh of relief. It was like they were home. There was no better feeling in the world to either of them than the feelings they had when they connected so intimately.

Edward gave a Bella a moment to adjust to him being inside of her before he began his thrusts. It amazed him every time they made love how well they seemed to fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle; it was why he thought that always had amazing sex.

Edward moved slowly and deliberately, savoring every moment he was joined with Bella. They settled into a fine rhythm, both giving themselves over to the sensations of their lovemaking. Both felt tremendous pleasure. He worshiped her with every kiss and touch, and she did the same.

Edward began to move more rapidly once he felt that he and Bella were close to reaching the heights of pleasure. Both their moans were getting louder, their words more explicit, and the sensations they felt more heightened. Edward both heard and felt Bella come as a primal moan escaped her lips just as her inner walls clamped down on his cock. It was too much for him to take and he was unable to hold back as he too came mere seconds after her.

Edward collapsed in a heap on the bed, pulling Bella to snuggle with him, as he tried to regain his normal breathing. They cuddled with one another, basking in their post-coital glow, and in total contentment. Bella gave him one final intensified kiss before she settled her head on Edward's chest and fell asleep with Edward's arms tightly wrapped around her.

However, they were not to get a lot of sleep that night. Bella was a sexual minx that night and would continually rile Edward up, leading to the most sex they'd had in a single evening in a while. Certainly, neither complained, despite knowing that their bodies would definitely be paying for their wild activities in bed the next day.

In the morning, even though Edward was weary and his limbs sore from all the exertion the night before, and operating on very little sleep, he got himself up to prepare another special surprise for Bella. He put on his robe, left Bella sleeping soundly, and made his way downstairs to the kitchen to make Bella breakfast in bed, and with her breakfast, another early Christmas gift.

Edward had made up his mind last night that he was finally going to ask Bella to marry him. There was no better time than that morning.

With Bella's favorite breakfast done and neatly arranged on a tray, and the ring box securely tucked in amongst the items next to the vase of flowers he added for decoration, he carefully carried the tray up to bed where Bella was still fast asleep. He placed it gently on the bed and with a few loving touches and a morning peck on the lips, he roused Bella from her slumber.

Her smile that would light up a room was back and Edward couldn't have found her more beautiful then; she was still waking up and her hair was all rumpled from him having run his fingers through it over and over again during their lovemaking. She also still had that sensual, contented, glow about her that signaled that she had one of the best nights of her life and smelled of Bella and sex.

Edward loved her so. He couldn't imagine loving anyone else and spending the rest of his life with anyone else. He couldn't wait for her to find the ring he had especially picked out for her. He had waited a long time to ask her to be his wife.

Bella thanked Edward for the wonderful morning surprise and dove into her special breakfast. Edward was thoughtful enough to have made all her favorites, including the special coffee she loved. Edward just sat there next to her with a big ole stupid-looking grin on his face.

At first, Bella didn't notice the ring box sitting there in the middle of her tray and amongst her food plates. But, she finally saw it once she reached for her napkin.

She glared at the box as if it offended her, whilst looking back and forth at Edward. He never spoke, just encouraged her to take a look with a nod of his head. He continued to have the widest grin Bella did ever see on him.

With trembling hands she picked up the little, red, satin box and opened it. Inside she saw the most beautiful ring. It was a platinum band with a fairly large, but not too big, heart-shaped diamond in the center, and then smaller settings on either side of it of her and Edward's birthstones. It was exactly her style. It was everything she could want in an engagement ring. Edward had chosen perfectly. As she took the ring out of the box and examined it closely between her fingers, her eyes grew wide with anticipation and her throat ran dry. She had no words at the moment for Edward.

That was okay, because Edward had all the words. He only needed her to say yes.

Edward plucked the ring from Bella's hands and held it out in front of her. He got down on one knee by the bed and began to speak from his heart, "Bella Swan, I've never loved anyone like I've loved you. You are my life now. I knew within three months of knowing you that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. I wasn't ready to ask you then, though, but I'm ready now and my timing could still suck, however I know of no better time than the present. I'm very sorry that I've made you wait this long. I've tried to make up for it each and every day by showing you how much I love you. I hope you've seen that and felt it. You can never possibly understand how much I do love you. I can't imagine having a life without you and knowing what you've been through with your dad has made me more determined. No measure of time with you will ever be enough, but how about we start with forever. Would you make this Christmas a very special one and do me the extreme honor of becoming my wife? Bella, will you marry me?"

Bella simply said, "Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>End AN:** Just wanted to give a truckload of thanks to my great friend, aka IslandJenie916, for stepping up and doing beta duty for me for this contest O/S. She helped me out when I was in a bind and truly makes me appreciate what RL friends are for. I am totally grateful for the backup.


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